Pigs are among the most cognitively sophisticated farm animals, capable of complex problem-solving, social learning, and even self-recognition. Their intelligence makes cognitive deprivation a significant welfare concern.
The intelligence of pigs creates a specific welfare concern: cognitive deprivation in a barren environment is experienced more intensely by an intellectually capable animal. A pig that can learn from mirrors, solve complex problems, and play video games is a pig that experiences the absence of these opportunities as deprivation in a way that a less cognitively sophisticated animal would not. The moral implications of factory farming practices are significantly elevated by the cognitive evidence. Enrichment that provides genuine cognitive challenge — not just physical engagement — is the appropriate welfare response to pigs' intellectual capabilities.